


blood & fear.

by DictionaryWrites



Category: Marvel
Genre: Awkwardness, Developing Friendships, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 23:37:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15375912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DictionaryWrites/pseuds/DictionaryWrites
Summary: It's weird, when Loki tries to talk to him, but Bruce gets the feeling he really is trying to be friendly.





	blood & fear.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Can I please get some Bruce & Loki on the Ark post-Ragnarok? Maybe something playing with the idea of it catching up to Bruce that he spent an unspecified amount of time as Hulk killing people for sport? Thank you!

The good thing, Bruce supposes, is that… The Big Guy, his bloodwork is the same. There’s no  _physical_  difference between the Hulk now, after being out for all that time, and Hulk as he’d been back on Earth, back–

But he’s different, now. Bruce can  _feel_  that he’s different, seething under his skin, feel that he’s smarter. He can communicate better, now, he can… Bruce feels sick. Two  _years_  of it, two years of however many hundreds of people Hulk killed in the arena, and that’s  _him_ –

“What is this?” Loki asks, and Bruce glances up to the board. He had been sitting awkwardly at the side of the lab, his head in his hands, but Loki had crept in silently - the guy’s boots don’t even make a sound if he doesn’t want them to. He isn’t dressed in his armour, now, but is instead dressed in a loose white blouse and some brown trousers, his hair tied up in a bun, and he looks–

God, he looks so much  _younger_. Still serious, still a little bit scary, but a far cry from the crazy bastard that had invaded Earth with a sceptre in his hands.

“It’s just some chemistry,” Bruce mutters. “It’s my blood–”

“Yes, I see  _that_ ,” Loki says, waving a hand. “I know what human blood looks like… These protein strands, these calculations, I presume those are from the effect of the gamma radiation, yes? What, you’re testing the Hulk’s blood? Why, pray?”

Bruce stares at him, standing up from his seat.

“Wait, wait– You understand this?” Bruce points at the board, which is cobbled together from  _stone_  and chalk, and is scrawled all over with calculations and with notes. 

Loki glances at him, arching an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“But this is– what, do… did they teach this on Asgard? Blood chemistry?” Loki scoffs.

“Not at all,” he says scathingly. “Asgard always excelled in physics, but in biology and chemistry… These things were seen as less important.”

“But this is post-grad stuff. This is post- _doc_  stuff.”

“Yes,” Loki says. Bruce is staring at him, uncomprehendingly, and Loki’s expression is quietly impassive. Turning his head, he glances toward the door of Bruce’s lab, ensuring no one else is present, and then he murmurs, “Officially, I have three degrees from the Vinian School of Sorcery - Thor completed a PPE course by correspondence, from Grafala, I think, and I spent around 20 years working through to my PhD in magical history on Vin. But– we are very old, Banner. I’ve picked up several degrees, here and there, on different planets.”

Degrees on different planets.  _Different planets._ It occurs to Bruce that he has never considered life on other planets as so developed. Sure, aliens - makes sense. Aliens with cultures, yeah, makes sense. But aliens with  _degrees_ –

But they must do. Of course. 

“So you… Right.” Bruce inhales, slowly, then says, “This is my bloodwork from  _before_. When I was on Earth. This is Hulk’s blood. And this is his blood now.”

“I see no difference,” Loki says, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yeah,” Bruce says. “ _Exactly_.” Loki looks at Bruce’s makeshift blackboard for a long few moments, and then he glances down at Bruce. It’s weird, to see him how he is, now. Less…  _Crazy_. More put together. But also, sadder, Bruce guesses. He barely cracks a smile here on the Ark, not even for Thor. Not that Bruce necessarily wants to see Loki having a great time, but… “He’s different. Hulk. He can– He can  _talk_  now, he’s smarter. Stronger.”

“You fear him,” Loki says softly. He is examining Bruce, analysing him, and his tone becomes gentler, almost warm, as he says, “You oughtn’t, you know. He is… He is part of you, as you are part of him, but the two of you are also distinct. You are individuals wrapped in the same skin.”

“You’re scared of him too,” Bruce mutters, more defensive than he intended to be. “More than I am.” Something changes in Loki’s face, freezes, his lip curling on the lefthand side for a fraction of a second, and then his eyes harden. He doesn’t look  _hurt_ , exactly, but there’s a distant anger, an indignation.

“Yes,” he says curtly. “I suppose I am.” He takes a step back, turning on his heel. 

“Wait,” Bruce says. Loki stops in the doorway. He doesn’t turn around. His shoulders are held stiffly, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, and Bruce thinks of Loki telling him - obviously on the down low - that he has degrees. Asking him questions. Trying to… What? Make a connection? “I wasn’t trying to make fun of you.” 

Loki turns his head to look at him. Back to that impassive face, back to the carefully-schooled  _nothingness_  on his features. “You aren’t the only person to have done things you had no control over,” Loki murmurs, darkly. “This self-pity is unbecoming, Banner. A luxury any of us might afford  _you_ , a mere Midgardian, but not one you ought not over-indulge.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bruce demands, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “Not the only person–”

Loki is already walking away,  _stalking_  down the corridor. 

Bruce hates this feeling - the vague understanding that he’s said something wrong, but not being able to tease out what exactly it is. And why should he feel bad for upsetting Loki  _anyway?_ It’s Loki, for Christ’s sake.

Still.

There’s a pit in Bruce’s chest, and he slowly looks back to the chalkboard. He isn’t being self-pitying. Hulk  _killed_  people…

Ugh. 

Maybe he should take a nap. That– Hell, it probably won’t help, but it’ll be something. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Hit me up on Tumblr](http://dictionarywrites.tumblr.com/faq). Requests always open.


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